Régis Le Bris praised the determination and discipline of his side after Sunderland secured a hard-fought win at West Brom

Trai Hume was the match-winner for the second week in a row, curling home a stunning free-kick in the 35th minute to put the Black Cats ahead.

As the game wore on, Sunderland were forced to dig deep under sustained pressure from the hosts.

But the defensive pairing of Chris Mepham and Luke O’Nien stood firm, while Anthony Patterson made a crucial late save to deny substitute Ousmane Diakité – securing his 50th senior clean sheet for the Club.

Speaking post-match, Le Bris said: “It was an important win for us today. It’s our second victory since the international break. It was a tough game because our opponent played well.

“The first half was okay, and we scored a brilliant goal through Trai. After that, because they needed to win, they pushed and took risks.

“We were under pressure, and we probably need to improve our ability to keep the ball and show more composure.

“At the same time, our defensive effort and willingness to work and manage the game was impressive.

“It’s really important to have this mindset in the final part of the season. It’s not just about playing – it’s about winning,” he continued.

We showed good quality in that area today.

“We also showed character, because it was a battle against three, four, even five strikers at the end.

“In those circumstances, you can talk about tactics, but really, it comes down to character, mindset, and the desire to protect our goal.